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Robust Effects (robust + effects)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	40%
Life Sciences	40%

Selected Abstracts

Paternal contribution to fetal alcohol syndrome

ADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
Ernest Abel
Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy is associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes for the child. Many women who drink during pregnancy also have male partners who abuse alcohol. Existing data on paternal effects of alcohol abuse during the preconceptual period and at the time of conception are reviewed. Epidemiological data offer some support for a paternal influence on birth weight, congenital heart defects, and some evidence of mild cognitive impairments. Animal data have demonstrated decreased litter size, increased prevalence of low birth weight fetuses and mixed data on risk of malformations. Increased susceptibility to Pseudomonas bacterial infection has been reported. Cognitive and behavioral findings are the most robust effects. These include learning and memory deficits, hyperactivity, and poor stress tolerance. Multiple causal mechanisms for a paternal effect have been suggested, but none seems satisfactory to explain all findings. Further research is needed on paternal effects in animals and human populations. The results of this research may influence prevention activities. [source]

Modeling the Role of Second Language Proficiency and Topic Familiarity in Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition Through Reading

LANGUAGE LEARNING, Issue 2 2003
Diana Pulido
The study examines the impact of topic familiarity, second language (L2) reading proficiency, and L2 passage sight vocabulary on incidental vocabulary acquisition. Independent variables include (a) a topic familiarity questionnaire, (b) the Adult Basic Learning Examination, Spanish Battery(Karlsen & Gardner, 1990), and (c) a passage sight vocabulary test. A repeated-measures design was used with a cross-sectional sample. Participants read narratives (2 more and 2 less familiar) containing nonsense words. Two and 28 days after reading, 2 gain measures were administered: (a) translation production and (b) translation recognition. Analyses reveal robust effects of reading proficiency, differential effects of topic familiarity, and isolated effects of passage sight vocabulary. The discussion concerns the impact of these factors and plausibility of interactive compensatory processing. [source]

Influence of estradiol on cortisol secretion in ovariectomized cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
R.C. Stavisky
Abstract In an investigation of cortisol secretion in fully mature, ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), we compared monkeys that were given either placebo (OVX, n = 26) or 17, estradiol (E2 ) (EST, n = 26) in a daily oral dose. Serum cortisol concentrations were measured prior to the experimental manipulation and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months following initiation of treatment. Pretreatment cortisol values did not differ between groups. Assessment of the treatment period values revealed that cortisol concentrations were significantly higher (,10%) in the EST than in the OVX monkeys. Cortisol also varied significantly across periods of sampling. This time-dependent variation was attributable to elevations in months 6 and 9 (when daylight was generally long), relative to months 3 and 12 (when daylight was relatively short). The modest stimulatory effect of estrogen on corticosteroid production observed in this study is consistent with what has been seen in women, and contrasts with the more robust effects observed in New World monkeys. The possible relationship between season and cortisol secretion observed here has not been previously described in monkeys. Am. J. Primatol. 60:17,22, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Hospital-Physician Collaboration: Landscape of Economic Integration and Impact on Clinical Integration

THE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2008
LAWTON ROBERT BURNS
Context: Hospital-physician relationships (HPRs) are an important area of academic research, given their impact on hospitals' financial success. HPRs also are at the center of several federal policy proposals such as gain sharing, bundled payments, and pay-for-performance (P4P). Methods: This article analyzes the HPRs that focus on the economic integration of hospitals and physicians and the goals that HPRs are designed to achieve. It then reviews the literature on the impact of HPRs on cost, quality, and clinical integration. Findings: The goals of the two parties in HPRs overlap only partly, and their primary aim is not reducing cost or improving quality. The evidence base for the impact of many models of economic integration is either weak or nonexistent, with only a few models of economic integration having robust effects. The relationship between economic and clinical integration also is weak and inconsistent. There are several possible reasons for this weak linkage and many barriers to further integration between hospitals and physicians. Conclusions: Successful HPRs may require better financial conditions for physicians, internal changes to clinical operations, application of behavioral skills to the management of HPRs, changes in how providers are paid, and systemic changes encompassing several types of integration simultaneously. [source]

Incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in very-low-birth-weight infants related to the use of Lactobacillus GG

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2010
R Luoto
ABSTRACT Background:, One of the five level III neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Finland has used prophylactic Lactobacillus GG (LGG) for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants since 1997. Aim:, To examine retrospectively the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in all five university hospital NICUs in Finland in relation to the use of LGG during the years each unit has belonged to the Vermont Oxford Network (VON). Methods:, The incidence of NEC was analysed from the national database and from the VON databases separately in all five level III NICUs and additionally in three groups according to the probiotic practice in the hospitals: prophylactic LGG group, probiotics ,on demand' group and no probiotics group. Results:, The incidence of NEC was 4.6% vs. 3.3% vs. 1.8% in the prophylactic LGG group, the probiotics ,on demand' group and the no probiotics group, respectively; p = 0.0090, chi-square. LGG had no influence on the clinical course of NEC. Conclusions:, The results of this retrospective report failed to show that LGG prophylaxis protects VLBW infants from the occurrence of NEC, in contrast to previously published results. Our results call for more research regarding effective ways to administer probiotics, including data on appropriate bacteria, strain, dose and timing of administration to achieve clinically robust effects. [source]